Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center will launch a new “supported employment” program Friday, Oct. 21, 10-11 a.m., with an event at the Children and Families Building, 502 S.W. 38th St. in Lawton.
Known as Individual Placement and Support (IPS), the model of supported employment helps people with mental health and substance use issues work at regular jobs of their choosing, said Summer Hurleyjacks, project manager.
The program is expected to accommodate up to 20 clients at any given time and JTCMHC is reaching out to area businesses interested in partnerships.
Statewide, approximately 500 people receiving treatment services through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services are participating in the initiative, said Lindsay Horn, ODMHSAS IPS project manager.
Jim Taliaferro CMHC’s program is the 14th team in the state, with one more planned at Carl Albert CMHC in McAlester, Horn said.
IPS specialists take time and care to get to know each business and each individual job seeker to create a good match, and are available after a person is hired to assist with training and problem-solving, which helps ensure success for both the employee and the employer, Hurleyjacks said.
“People in recovery find meaning and purpose through employment,” Horn said. “Last year, ODMHSAS added 540 newly employed individuals, leading to approximately $13.2 million in new wages.”
Job Placement Specialist Nicole Wilbanks will open the event with a short introduction. Both Hurleyjacks and Horn will speak, as will JTCMHC Executive Director Terri Lee and ODMHSAS leadership. Dustin Bailey, who leads the Grand Addiction Recovery Center IPS program in Tulsa, will give a short presentation on his agency’s program, which has served more than 300 clients.
“Watching this program mature has been the highlight of my career,” he said. “The impact of meaningful, sustainable employment related to a person’s recovery is beyond significant. I am fortunate to witness, first-hand, our clients’ self-esteem and confidence grow as they progress in their recovery, while doing work they love.”
Jim Taliaferro CMHC offers an array of mental health and addiction treatment options for children and adults throughout southwest Oklahoma. They provide services for approximately eight counties, including Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Stephens and Tillman.
For more information about the JTCMHC program, call 580-248-5780 or toll-free 866-818-5780.
